Architect&#39;s instrument for determining the direction of the sun&#39;s rays



Aug. 9, 1949- R. B. POLLMAN ARCHITECTS INSTRUMENT FOR DETERMINING THE DIRECTION OF THE SUNS RAYS Filed March 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gttoruegs 3 monitor Aug. 9, 1949. R. B. POLLMAN 2,473,315

ARCHITECT'S INSTRUMENT FOR DETERMINING THE DIRECTION OF THE SUNS RAYS Filed March 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snnentor WWW awzmmw Patented Aug. 9, 1949 t itsttwem tee ING THE DIRECTION OF r1113 SUN Mv RAYS meheee is. Pollman, Detroit, itiieh itiffliieetieh Mereh 22, 1945, Serial sfziitsi' z cleihis.

The present intentiqn relates' to improvements in architects surveying instruments.

The primary object of the inyenti'on is to bro: vide an inexpensive ins 'trument for mea uring the inclination of .the sjin all; thesuns" rays with respect to the azimuth and; horizorl s'othat the architect rnayhave thi s' data enumerate tion before him when designing huilqingierii playing specially constructetij winolows" ai'i'ap tedi to take advantage or the heat; from triesunjs rays during winter months and to exemee Heat during summer month ,i

Another object ij,,thfe inven id an architects" instrument, fhi'chln 'ay'r he employed i g he tie g othu i1d1 g i ithe like to pro er y orien b ild n to such position as to talge advantage of thesun sflreys urin n qnths m tti'e l ee t e building by permitting the sun's rays to pass through the windows of'jtl'le', huiliilng at agtime when the intensity or the" heat" of the s'uns rays is at m ximum. c a

Another objeetgf thei'nv ention is to provide an architectyinstrument' which may be eonveniently pl ed on eger be accessible at times to indicate theangularity of the sunfs r ays wh' designing buildings and houses, whereby tqpr'ov' e suitablebuilding plans with. th w ns qw iend' e ves p oper y 1.6- cated. to take ad ventegg e of the radiant heat n; ergy during winter monthsanjd exclude said heat energy during simm r A w 1: t t

Another Qbj gtfqf th ntion is to provide, av device of the above rrient ne'd character which is n n l enp'e i a c ea yt .ma iipu-j late and extremely acoui a whereby the architect may receiye the leeches all? information con-I cerning the angular'ity qf'thej s u'nis rays, inlocal regions as well as lqoaliti esiln variousotheriatitudes without taking act'ulel readings at the localities or sites of the lguiljqingsi other ob ec s "and a antages: f th 1hveh'-',

tion will becomeapparent' during the course of the following description of the a'ccompanyirig drawing, wherein; 7 A

Figure 1' is at sli e; eleifatio strument embodyingjth 1 i u aduated architect wit eh eee iet' reading" es to the inclination oi the sun's rays;

meet-pe eee. ention showing the 1o ar ihit sitsii inst ume t;

ure 1 1 s I Figure 6. is

likecpartgjgth referen 4 ly ur edt lis l fa e ibr mf iii he "onal View taken on the oblique line 2- 2 ."f Fi inte 1 looking in the direction of the arro a showing the control knobtoitne ,indiea h1g1 1 ice {for shifting the F ur 2 Eeri t 5 light line,vanejothedsiitedang1 1h accordance with thetim oiidel t I .i'giire3 is averti'cel crossseqtionalview taken on' line 3:13 .pf,F igure1', 1oikingin the direction l of the' arrowe shewi "gjjst'i'uetitrei details of the Figu e e he tepel ytttienei l w the architect's instr""ent' showingth'engeneral contour of the base andcthemariner in which the indicating enets disposed rela ye thereto; and

' merged )irag'mentary elevationalview of the co rolkrfoh s ho'wing the manner' invwhi'chth'e gem ls 'gia'rluated for the purpose "f setti g theiii'qiceting Vane. to an angle dayiend 7 an opl qufe cross ticgnal view taken n line 5- -5 ,0; 7 Figure ,iii ol in 1 7 th direction olfuth'e a ows' i11ustratethe manner in which the pot er connected to the. protract or ski t t inovern nt of the indicator corresponding t 'tlij h urro'f,

arm ebid t'th etxi tithe petrol shaft W111 shift theprotractoiiabhutitsf exis I V the vere zme whe ei" for thepilrpose of; illustrat ng .th t ehiiik reference-charac- ,ters will. be .terniili throughout te' designate e en'y' .loe em lover 1 '0 slgn'at t base of moderni i iC design afi'tlw ehliavi'n'gfla serie's" of fiangedportionsili eh cjt'ed hyhciurved surface portionslfii.v F0 rdn itdfihoi th'evjoaseflficis a 1.3. terminatesat its upper end' in en inwardly eirte'n'cling'{flange e. Thevibafiefiis ,extendedes atoll) .tjo'eprlovide a foot portion", for supnorting can arcuately curved strip portion [I embracing. the howles haped portwhen 1 or the hesje' ,a., rdrniecliiite r i' with the c mner i e curvedguiqememberlg which nojects abo ve' the.

arcuately c lriieistrip portion ll bowl po ion of the h ase 8Q.Q an terminates atits T upper end-agijacentflthe aiii's erect; Thearcu i 91m. eft-Wi aerati tsc hdthwhe esiuh iqn ma ks t 1 0 tude for a purpose which l herpine t e h deemed-e. Y

' Ifhe guigie 2 1s nprgyigegi i 1th a slot 1, 5 having opposed chamfered edges lfiior slidably receiving a slide I! which is rounded and provided on its underside with a diametrically disposed rib I8 adapted to be received in the slot l with enlarged portions thereof as at I9 received in the chamfered portions l6 of said slot. The slide is provided with a bore 28 for receiving the reduced end 2| of a rotatable shaft 22 which projects inwardly to the center of the arcuately curved guide strip I2 as clearly shown in Figure 1. A washer or the like as at 23 is interposed between the enlarged portion of the shaft 22 and the underside of the arcuately curved slide guide l2, and a knob 24 is secured to the reduced portion ii of the shaft and held in place b a locking pin 25. The slide I1 is thus held in place against displacement by the washer 23 and knob 24 and interposed between the knob '24 and the slide I! is a graduated disc 26 having graduation markings 2T thereon adapted to register with graduations 28 on the beveled skirt portion 28 of the knob 24. The inner end of the rotatable shaft 22 is provided with a spherical head member 30 and said rotary shaft is provided with a longitudinally extending offset slot 3! for receiving one of the angular edges of a sectorshaped light-ray vane 32. The light-ray vane 32 is formed of a suitable transparent plastic material and afiixed to the rod 22 by suitable adhesive or other means so as to swing about the axis of the shaft 22 when the knob 24 is rotated. The light-ray vane 32 is provided with a graduated scale 33 having legends 34 denoting the various months of the year. The graduations between the legends 34 are intended to represent weeks between the various legends or the space between the legends may be graduated to represent days by dividing the graduations denoting weeks into seven equal parts.

Formed in the spherical head 30 is a sectorshaped slot 35 for receiving the inner end of a pivoted indicating arm or pointer 36 which is pivotally held in place by means of a pivot pin 31 extending through suitable openings on opposite sides of the sector-shaped slot 35. The free end of the pointer arm 36 is provided with a pointer 38 having a straight edge portion 39 adapted to register with the graduations 33 and legends 34 as shown clearly in Figure 1. The free end of the pointer 36 is provided with a spherical tip 39'. An arcuate slot 48 is formed in the sector-shaped light-ray vane 32 for receiving a bolt 4| having a head portion 4'2 at one end thereof for preventing the bolt from passing through the slot 40 when said bolt is arranged therein. The other end of the bolt extends through an aperture in the indicator arm 36 and is threaded for receiving the thumb nut 43 to facilitate the clamping of the indicator arm 36 in a predetermined position upon the light-ray vane 32 with the straight edge 39 of the indicator arm in registry with one of the graduations 33.

Movably supported between the bowl-shaped portions of the base 8 and the free end of the arcuately curved slide guide I2 is a protractor 44 which is provided with a groove 44' for receiving the spherical tip 39' of the indicator arm 36. Also the protractor 44 is provided with a series of degree markings or graduations 45 (Figure 1) with which the pointer 38 is adapted to register and align. The lower portion of the protractor 44 is provided with an arcuately curved foot 46 which is supported on the inwardly extending flange 9 of the bowl-shaped support 8, and a clamping ring 41 is disposed on the top edge of said bowl 8 so that the inner end of said ring overlies the foot 46 on the lower end of the protractor. A rib 48 is formed integral with the protractor 44 and provides a portion for overlying the clamping ring 41. Screws or other fastening elements may be provided for securing the clamping ring 4"! in place on the top edge of the bowl-shaped support 8. The upper end of the protractor 44 is provided with an extension 49, the free end of which is received in an arcuate slot 50 formed in the extreme free end of the slide guide l2 as shown more clearly in Figure 4. It will thus be seen that the protractor 44 may be swung about an arc with respect to the base or bowl 8 and the top of the clamping ring 41 is provided with a compass or solar azimuth scale having a series of degree markings 5| with which the projection 48 is adapted to register when the architects instrument is used during the orientation of the building plan so that the building will face in the proper direction to receive radiant heat energy during the winter months and exclude the sun's rays during the summer months.

In operation, the slide I! is moved along the slide guide I2 until the pointer thereon as at 52 registers with one of the degree markings of the latitude scale l3 corresponding to the latitude of the locality in which the building is constructed. As shown in Figure 1, the slide i1 is moved to a position of approximately 46 degrees latitude so that the shaft 22 will be at an angle with respect to the horizon. After the slide I! has thus been set, the indicator arm 36 is moved to a position in which the straight edge 39 registers with one of the legends 34 denoting the month in which the inclination of the suns rays is to be determined. By manipulating the thumb screw 43, the indicator arm 36 may be kept at a predetermined position and locked against movement during the manipulation of the lightray vane 32 which will be later described.

As pointed out above, the graduations 2'! and 28 on the disc 26 and skirt portion 29 of the knob 24 are intended to indicate hours of the day and as shown in Figure 4, the graduations 28 on the skirt 29 of the knob are formed about rotated, the shaft 22 is likewise rotated in the bearing opening 20 of the slide I! so as to oscillate the sector-shaped to a predetermined position. When the light-ray vane 32 is moved to its predetermined position, the pro-tractor 44 is moved, by the sliding engagement of the ball tip 39' of the pointer 36 (Figure 6) with the groove 44' in the protractor 44, automatically about the axis of the bowl-shaped base 8 until one of the altitude graduations thereon as at 45 registers with the end of the pointer 38 and at the same time one of the azimuth graduations 5i registers with the projection 48. From the graduations 45 on the protractor 44, the exact inclination or angular altitude of the sun's rays and from the graduations 5| its azimuth may be determined, whereby the architect may then draft his buildmg plans so as to take advantage of the suns rays d rin e ntele onthssfor pattialiiir eating i the house by pe mitti g itheizsunsgrayspstorpassr: through windowedgopenings thenein; andqgtorsoz: position the building or ghousegrandethe {eaves 1 thereof o dei heisuns raged ina.;the:sum mer or :months/etczmaintainetheehouse;tins a cool condition.

It. is to be -unders/toodflthat the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferredembodiment of the same and that various changessmay ;be-l-,mad euin the shape, size and arrangement ofdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoinedcla imsfi What I claim is:

1.7, An architects instrumenap comprising? a base, an 'arcuate slide guide carriedsby saidzbazsezr' having a graduated latitudeiscal-eya slide mounted: for movement inanarcuatapathpn said. slide guide, a rotary shaft'jo'urnale'd in said slide and ;,parts,. ;-wi-thoutrs swingable; -therewith, an indicator vane secured to said. shaft to,swingmtherewithrand having; a scale graduated,. to,,,denotasmnnths and: days, an hour scale correlated with the rotation of said shaft to effect tilting of said vane into alignment with the inclination of the suns rays at the desired hour of the day, an indicator arm pivoted to the said shaft and registrable with said month and day scale, and a protractor swingably mounted relatively to said base and slide guide having a solar altitude scale thereon registrable with said arm.

2. An architects instrument, comprising a base, an arcuate slide guide carried by said base having a graduated latitude scale, a slid mounted for movement in an arcuate path on said slide guide, a rotary shaft journaled in said slide and swingable therewith, an indicator vane secured to said shaft to swing therewith and having a scale graduated to denote months and days, an hour scale correlated with the rotation of said shaft to effect tilting of said vane into alignment with the inclination of the suns rays at the desired hour of the day, a head on the lower end of said shaft, an indicator arm pivoted to said head on the said shaft and registrable with said month-and-day scale, a protractor swingably mounted relatively to said base and slide guide having a solar altitude scale thereon registrable with said arm.

3. An architects instrument, comprising a base, an arcuate slide guide carried by said base having a graduated latitude scale, a slide mounted for movement in an arcuate path on said slide guide, a rotary shaft journaled in said slide and swingable therewith, an indicator vane secured to said shaft to swing therewith and having a scale graduated to denote months and days, an hour scale correlated with the rotation of said shaft to efiect tilting of said vane into alignment with the inclination of the suns rays at the desired hour of the day, an indicator arm pivoted to the said shaft and registrable with said month and day scale, a protractor swingably mounted relatively to said base and slide guide, a coupling connected between said indicating arm and said protractor and having relatively movable engagement therewith, said protractor having a solar altitude scale thereon registrable with said arm and a solar azimuth scale on said base, said protractor having a pointer thereon registrable with said azimuth scale.

4. An architects instrument, comprising a base, an arcuate slide guide carried by said base 6 i having a l graduated ilatitude scale; a slideimountwed for movement. inlanrarcuate ipathlomsaidislider guide, -a rotary; shaft journaled='in said :slidefand swingable "therewith; an: indicator vanew secured' to said'shaft to swingatherewith and havin'gra scale graduated "to :denote amonths andrdaysnan hour scale :correlated .withzthei rotation of; rsaid shaft to effect" tilting :of saiduvanei into :alignment with the; inclinationlxoft thEi-TSIIIES arayscaat then desired hour-pf: the .day, an tindic'atoriarm: pivoted?- to'tthe. said shaft and registrablewithsard montli i and :day scale; a protractoroswingably mountedrelatively 'to saidbase rand Islide guide :havingra solar: altitude; scale thereon-tregistrablewvith' sai'd arm anda solar azimuthzscale on said bffia said 1 protractor. havingaia= pointer.- thereon registrab with said "azimuth scale, said 'indicating arm said. vane being mechanically: coupledto sai'd'pr tractor: to swing said: protractor in synchronism L with the tilting. of.isaid.- vane whereby to auto' matically' "move said :tarmti to 1 indicate the sol'ai altitude on said protractor:and alsontozmove sai' protractor to indicate the solar azirnuth on said azimuth scale.

5. An architects instrument for indicating the inclination of the suns rays at a predetermined time in a predetermined latitude, comprising a base, an arcuately curved slide guide extending upwardly from said base having a guide slot, said slide guide being provided with a graduated scale to denote latitude, a slide movably mounted in the slot in said arcuately curved slide guide, a rotary shaft supported by said slide extending inwardly to the center of said arcuately curved slide guide, a light ray indicator vane mounted on said rotary shaft, an hour scale correlated with the rotation of said shaft to adjust said indicator vane to a position of alignment with the inclination of the suns rays at a predetermined time of day, a month-and-day scale on said vane, a pivoted indicator arm secured to the inner end of said shaft movable over said monthand-day scale on the indicator vane, and a protractor having degree markings thereon movably carried by the base and arcuately curved guide and registrable with said indicator arm to indicate the inclination of the suns rays at a particular time in a predetermined latitude.

6. An architects instrument for indicating the inclination of the suns rays at a predetermined time in a predetermined latitude, comprising a base, an arcuately curved slide guide extending upwardly from said base having a guide slot, said slide guide being provided with a graduated scale to denote latitude, a slide movably mounted in the slot in said arcuately curved slide guide, a rotary shaft supported by said slide extending inwardly to the center of said arcuatel curved slide guide, a light ray indicator vane mounted on said rotary shaft, an hour scale correlated with the rotation of said shaft to adjust said indicator vane to a position of alignment with the inclination of the suns rays at a predetermined time of day, a month-and-day scale on said vane, a pivoted indicator arm secured to the inner end of said shaft movable over said monthand-day scale on the indicator vane, a protractor having degree markings thereon movably carried by the base and arcuatel curved guide and registrable with said indicator arm to indicate the inclination of the suns rays at a particular time in a predetermined latitude, a coupling connected between said indicating arm and said protractor and having relatively movable engagement therewith and a solar azimuth scale on said base, said protractor having a pointer thereon registrable with said azimuth scale.

7. An architects instrument for indicating the inclination of the sun's rays at a predetermined time in a predetermined latitude, comprising a base, an arcuately curved slide guide extending upwardly from said base having a guide slot, said slide guide being provided with a graduated scale to denote latitude, a slide movably mounted in the slot in said arcuately curved slide guide, a rotary shaft supported by said slide extending inwardly to the center of said arouately curved slide guide, a light ray indicator vane mounted on said rotary shaft, an hour scale correlated with the rotation of said shaft to adjust said indicator vane to a position of alignment with the inclination of the sun's rays at a predetermined time of day, a month-and-day scale on said vane, a pivoted indicator arm secured to the inner end of said shaft movable over said month-and-day scale on the indicator vane, and protractor having degree markings thereon movably carried by the base and armately curved guide and registrable with said in dicator arm to indicate the inclination of the sun's rays at a particular time in a predetermined latitude, said shaft being provided With a spherical end portion having a slot for pivotally receiving one end of the pivoted indicator.

RICHARD B. POLLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

